INS Sindhurakshak catches fire at naval dockyard in Mumbai

[ladder]

Navy set to upgrade, boost existing fleet

With the Sindhurakshak tragedy impairing the Navy's underwater capabilities, several projects to upgrade the existing fleet of submarines and expedite the procurement of new vessels have been fast-tracked.
The proposals being expedited include an upgrade for the Shishumar class (HDW Type 209) of submarines to equip them with anti-ship missiles, a fire control system upgrade for a Kilo submarine, simulators for training the crew on weapons firing and tenders for a new range of conventional submarines.

Sources said the upgrade for the Shishumar class of submarines is likely to be cleared at the earliest. It will be a major capability enhancement over the current weapon complement that consists of torpedoes and mines. The upgrade for two of the four submarines of the class with the Navy is likely to cost under Rs 1,000 crore, which will include the purchase of nearly 100 Harpoon missiles from the US. The original manufacturers of the submarine, German firm HDW, will be roped in for the upgrade and training of the crew. While INS Shalki and Shankul will be upgraded, a decision on the other two will be taken later.

To reduce crew training costs and conserve the life of the submarine, two torpedo simulators will also be purchased from Germany.

Since the number of operational submarines with the Navy after the Sindhurakshak incident has effectively come down to 11, efforts are on to get the two Kilo class submarines that are up for refit back into service at the earliest. The Navy is focusing on procuring a new set of fire control system for a Kilo class vessel — most likely the INS Sindhukirti — which will cost close to Rs 100 crore.

Fresh impetus has also been given to issuing tenders for a new range of conventional submarines (P 75I) that will be equipped with Air Independent Propulsion to ensure long underwater endurance. While the tenders have been pending since last year, the Navy obtained an extension of the Acceptance of Necessity from the Defence Ministry. Sources said a final round of consultation with the likely contenders for the contract — companies based in France, Germany, Spain and Russia — is currently on and the final requirements in the tender will be frozen shortly by the Navy. After delays that have lasted over a year, the request for proposal (RFP) for the new generation of submarines is likely to be issued before December.

Shopping list

* TWO torpedo simulators to reduce crew training costs

* A new set of fire control system for a Kilo class vessel which will cost close to Rs 100 crore

* A new range of conventional submarines (P 75I) that will be equipped with Air Independent Propulsion to ensure long underwater endurance

Navy set to upgrade, boost existing fleet - Indian Express

 

[nirranj]

On the recent accident in which INS Sindhurakshak sank after rocked by explosions, the Russian side agreed to provide expert assistance for raising the submarine and carrying out its technical inspection.

Russia will also beef up its team of 100 engineers, now deployed in Vishakhapatnam in order to speed up midterm repairs to INS Sindhudhvaj and INS Sindhushashtra. The Russian side also offered to have two more Indian Navy Kilo class submarines undergo midterm repairs in Russia, the sources said.

Russia to hand over Vikramaditya on Nov. 15 - The Hindu

 

[t_co]

Russia to hand over Vikramaditya on Nov. 15 - The Hindu

Who's paying for all the assistance?

 

[nirranj]

Who's paying for all the assistance?

It will be taken care when India pays for the Second Akula Lease...

 

[t_co]

It will be taken care when India pays for the Second Akula Lease...

The Russians are willing to defer payment for up to 24 months? That's tantamount to an admission of liability towards the Sindhurakshak accident.

 

[drkrn]

The Russians are willing to defer payment for up to 24 months? That's tantamount to an admission of liability towards the Sindhurakshak accident.

any links?

 

[t_co]

any links?

Nope, just responding to @nirranj

The second Akula lease might take 24 months to payment. If that's when Russian assistance towards the Sindhurakshak will be compensated, it's tantamount to an admission of liability

 

[drkrn]

Nope, just responding to @nirranj

The second Akula lease might take 24 months to payment. If that's when Russian assistance towards the Sindhurakshak will be compensated, it's tantamount to an admission of liability

did russian's ever admit that sindhurakshak tragedy is their fault?they won't compensate anything.
even 2nd akula lease will take some time.may be due to to fit the agreements of mtcr,,to modify launch tubes

 

[ladder]

Navy to float Rs 50,000 crore tender for six submarines

India is preparing to issue a `50,000 crore tender to build six hi-tech conventional submarines that have now been delayed by three years, with the Navy proposal all set to be placed before the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) soon.

Navy Chief Vice Admiral R K Dhowan said here on Monday that the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister A K Antony, had recently given its approval for the proposal to be taken up before the CCS, and once the nod from the government's highest panel on military matters comes, the tender will be issued.

The DAC, which had met on Friday last, had for the third time in three years extended the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the second line of submarine building, which has been codenamed 'Project 75I'.

Dhowan was addressing a press conference to introduce the nation's first-ever five-day naval systems exposition, called NAMEXPO-2013 and organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), at Kochi from September 23.

The DAC had first approved the AoN for Project 75I in July 2010, which had expired after two years. The AoN was revived by the DAC in August 2012, when the second approval was given, and the one provided on Friday turns out to be the third. The AoN is usually valid for the first two years and subsequently renewed for a year at a time.

The AoN normally expires if the Defence Ministry fails to issue the necessary tender for the defence procurement project within the approval period, which had happened twice in the case of Project 75I now.

In the context of submarine INS Sindhurakshak's explosion and sinking on August 14, Dhowan said the Navy was considering a refit and repair of its existing fleet of conventional submarines, which stands at 13 at present. Sindhurakshak is a Russian-origin Kilo-class submarine and with it out of action, the Navy is left with only nine in this class. It also has four other HDW class submarines in the fleet.

Kilo-class submarines were first bought by India in the late 1980s and most of them have already served their effective life of 20 years. Regarding the reasons for organising NAMEXPO, when the biennial DEFEXPO in Delhi focused on naval systems too, Dhowan said the lack of Indian indigenous capability to manufacture weapons and sensors was a "concern and challenge" and stressed the need to tap the Indian industry's potential.

Navy to float Rs 50,000 crore tender for six submarines - The New Indian Express

 

[t_co]

Navy to float Rs 50,000 crore tender for six submarines - The New Indian Express

500bn rupees = 8bn USD.

On another note, 50000cr rupees is greater than the entire Navy's 2013-2014 procurement budget of ~23500cr. Given that amortized costs for the Vikra account for a sizeable portion of that 23500, then this purchase will have to be spread over several years, and likely represents the entire sub procurement plans of INS for the next few years - so six subs in total by 2017, give or take. In addition, this will rule out chances of buying or laying down another aircraft carrier, barring a sizeable budget increase.

For comparison, the PLAN is expected to launch 10+ new conventional subs by 2017, at least of six of which - two domestic and four Russian - will have AIP. In addition, the PLAN budget has room for serial production of four hulls of the Type 095 nuclear attack submarine, and prototyping of the Type 096 nuclear submarine - on top of enough budget space for at least 2 more aircraft carriers, a line extension of the Type 052D-class to sixteen destroyers, and the launch of the first Type 055-class destroyers, which the Pentagon expects to match the Arleigh Burke Flight II in terms of firepower and EW.

 

[ladder]

500bn rupees = 8bn USD.

On another note, 50000cr rupees is greater than the entire Navy's 2013-2014 procurement budget of ~23500cr. Given that amortized costs for the Vikra account for a sizeable portion of that 23500, then this purchase will have to be spread over several years, and likely represents the entire sub procurement plans of INS for the next few years - so six subs in total by 2017, give or take. In addition, this will rule out chances of buying or laying down another aircraft carrier, barring a sizeable budget increase.

For comparison, the PLAN is expected to launch 10+ new conventional subs by 2017, at least of six of which - two domestic and four Russian - will have AIP. In addition, the PLAN budget has room for serial production of four hulls of the Type 095 nuclear attack submarine, and prototyping of the Type 096 nuclear submarine - on top of enough budget space for at least 2 more aircraft carriers, a line extension of the Type 052D-class to sixteen destroyers, and the launch of the first Type 055-class destroyers, which the Pentagon expects to match the Arleigh Burke Flight II in terms of firepower and EW.

Yes, It will be spread over few years.

In Indian Navy context 2017 is early.

You also have forgotten the Scorpene class subs and optional follow-on( 2 subs)


Also, Arihant's two sisters are on various stages of construction.

For rest of the post you effectively can search the Indian Navy section.
The modernization requirement, projects, update and problems are very well represented.

Only single post en-capsuling the comparison of hulls and systems for modernization and expansion without knowing the plan and doctrine behind it will not do justice to it.

And, for the poster it will be akin to spoon feeding and which I am not interested in.

Thanks.

 

[Dinesh_Kumar]

So the Navy planners have to take all this into account and make plans accordingly, as they have always being doing, correct?

500bn rupees = 8bn USD.

On another note, 50000cr rupees is greater than the entire Navy's 2013-2014 procurement budget of ~23500cr. Given that amortized costs for the Vikra account for a sizeable portion of that 23500, then this purchase will have to be spread over several years, and likely represents the entire sub procurement plans of INS for the next few years - so six subs in total by 2017, give or take. In addition, this will rule out chances of buying or laying down another aircraft carrier, barring a sizeable budget increase.

For comparison, the PLAN is expected to launch 10+ new conventional subs by 2017, at least of six of which - two domestic and four Russian - will have AIP. In addition, the PLAN budget has room for serial production of four hulls of the Type 095 nuclear attack submarine, and prototyping of the Type 096 nuclear submarine - on top of enough budget space for at least 2 more aircraft carriers, a line extension of the Type 052D-class to sixteen destroyers, and the launch of the first Type 055-class destroyers, which the Pentagon expects to match the Arleigh Burke Flight II in terms of firepower and EW.

 

[t_co]

So the Navy planners have to take all this into account and make plans accordingly, as they have always being doing, correct?

There comes a point when it becomes impossible to achieve parity vis a vis an adversary whose defense budget is 3x yours and is growing 15% a year.

 

[Dinesh_Kumar]

No, our people realized early that matching numbers with China wont be effective...............for example making 60 submarines is quite difficult. Instead, ASW assets are also being used in Eastern Fleet now. See, one Tu-142 Aircraft has b/w 9 to 12 hours of endurance, and can play havoc with a hostile sub quite effectively. Our Naval Planners have looked at Japan with admiration for a long time, they have about 16-18 subs (many with Side Scan Sonar and Stirling AIP, and better than the Kilo), and about 11 destroyers (Aegis equivalent, Gas Turbine powered, Cruise missile firing - y'know what i mean), and the rough equivalent of 2 carrier groups. However their airborne MR assets are quite good, more than 100 SH-60 ASW helos, and about 30 PC-3 and Kawasaki P2s, their naval deterrence is much superior to China, and in a conventional scenario, japan always comes on top........Here, the size of Japan Defence League is quite small in terms of personnel, only about 2,50,000 people (all 3 wings), in fact even Indian Paramilitary forces are much bigger than JDL, but not as effective... So, my dear t_co , it doesn't matter what you have, it matters how you use it..... .

There comes a point when it becomes impossible to achieve parity ........

 

[pmaitra]

INS Sindhurakshak: From Fame to Flames
Credit - Oleg Kuleshov

 

[happy]

@pmaitra Is there any news on the sabotage angle of this tragedy?

 

[pmaitra]

@pmaitra Is there any news on the sabotage angle of this tragedy?

Not that I am aware of. I think we can give a fair amount of credibility to the possibility of an accident. Accidents happen. It happened with the Kursk, and it can happen with any other object that exists on earth.

 

[happy]

The Indian Navy's Submarine Arm is Dependable

Indian Navy has operated eight Foxtrot, ten Kilo, four HDW-1500, and two nuclear submarines, a Charlie (1988-91) and an Akula (from April 2013) both named INS Chakra on lease, for five decades, and has fired hundreds of torpedoes and dozens of missiles and taken part in armed operational patrols in wars and peace, with no major submarine accident.

The indigenous nuclear propelled nuclear armed (SSBN) Arihant is progressing well and only on August 10, its nuclear reactor was activated, a major step towards its journey forward for sea trials and deployment. The 82.5 MW nuclear reactor for submarine was designed at Kalpakkam by PRP Centre - PRP originally stood for Plutonium Reprocessing Project under the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).

The Navy's safety record was broken on August 14 when two large white and orange explosions were seen, heard and photographed from the nearby Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai just after midnight, when India was getting ready to celebrate its 67th Independence Day. The explosions led to the sinking of the 2,300 ton Kilo class conventional submarine, INS Sindhurakshak (protector of the seas), berthed in Navy's Dockyard in the heart of Mumbai.

Sindhurakshak in fact was transported to Severodnsik in Russia on board a heavy lift ship from Vishakpatnam (See photo) in June 2010 only, for refit and modernisation. It had returned a few months ago fully operational, torpedo and Klub missile capable. Hence the accident shocked the nation and surprised the Navy's submarine community which is a close knit professional arm. The submarine arm is a 'silent service' and very little is written about the service's operational roles.

It may be recalled that Captain Alexander Ivanovich Terenov, the Russian safety captain of the Project 670 K-43 nuclear submarine INS Chakra from 1986 to 1991, who initially trained the Indian crews at Vladivostok, and then served alongside the three successive Indian captains for four years, has praised the Indian submariners for their professionalism in his book, "Under Three Flags, The Saga of the Submarine Cruiser K43/Chakra."
The nuclear propelled Charlie was taken on a three year lease from 1988 from the Soviet Union. The deal was facilitated by Admiral of the Fleet Sergie Gorshkov, who was impressed by the Indian Navy's Styx missile attacks off Karachi in the 1971 war and employment of Soviet supplied warships and submarines.
He reposed confidence that the Indian Navy could operate nuclear submarines effectively. The then Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, had initiated discussions with Soviet leaders for leasing a nuclear submarine.
The Indian crew under Captain Ravi Ganesh took over the K-43 and named her INS Chakra. Around then, US President Ronald Reagan asked Moscow not to transfer the boat. The crew had completed training by December 1987, but was kept waiting in Vladivostok and not allowed to go on board for some time.
The book indicates that it was Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who then managed to swing the transfer by approaching President Mikhail Gorbachev. The submarine was hurriedly commissioned and christened INS Chakra by T.N. Kaul, India's Ambassador to Russia, who hosted a lunch and sailed out of Vladivostok on January 5, 1988 when the temperature was minus 25 degrees C.
The Chakra was ordered by NHQ to dive and proceed till the Malacca Straits underwater to avoid detection. Jane's Defence weekly photographed her off Singapore from where a naval warship escorted her to home waters. On February 3, 1988, Rajiv Gandhi personally embarked the INS Chakra off Vishakapatnam to welcome her into the Indian fleet.
The submarine dived, and the PM and his entourage had lunch with the Officers and the Coxswain, an important key senior sailor whilst under nuclear power underwater. The Indian crew handled the reactor well after the Russians put the officers and sailors through the paces of nuclear operation. INS Chakra was operated for 72,000 nautical miles (133,000km), and her reactor was active for 430 days.
Five missile and 42 torpedo firings were executed under the Indian command with Russian supervision on board for safety, which speaks volumes of operational capabilities over four years.
An accident and fire on board the Chakra in 1989 saw her lose electric power and descend from 40 feet to 200 feet. The crew expeditiously ordered 'emergency blowing of the tanks' to surface the boat. The fire was contained and put off by joint heroic action of the Indian crew and the few Russians on board including Terenov. There was no radioactive leakage and the submarine returned to Vishakapatnam on her own, possibly under diesel power, or with assistance of tugs as the reactor must have been scrammed (emergency shut). A Russian support team and the naval dockyard took three months to put her back to the sea.
Submarine accidents nonetheless have happened worldwide including in the US, UK and, the Soviet Navies; each equipped with major submarine arms. There are lessons to draw from them.
It would be imperative for the Indian Navy to examine the cause/s of all submarine accidents– technical or human failures– and do the needful as preventive measures.

INS SINDHURAKSHAK
Many dangers lurk when operating submarines. Therefore the question whether the explosions in Sindhurakshak were caused by a systemic, a human or material failure or due to sabotage is haunting those who have served in the Indian Navy, and will be speculated, as all the 18 on board including the First Lieutenant and two Lt Commanders and five Under Water Control (UCs) sailors who deal with anti-submarine warfare perished.
The evidence of the three sailors on the casing who jumped to safety will be vital, as they would have been aware of what was going on 'down below'. The revelations of the night orders that the Commanding Officer had left for the duty crew of Sindhurakshak will be crucial as the submarine was to sail that morning for an operational patrol possibly with armed torpedoes and missiles which normally entails the critical drill of inserting primers and detonators into the weapons.
The submarine has six torpedo tubes in the bows which can be loaded with torpedoes or missiles, and can carry 12 additional torpedoes/missiles in racks. As Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in most navies, operational submarines and ships invariably proceed on patrol with torpedoes and missiles, and some are armed in the tubes which have watertight front covers and are considered very safe. The saying goes the 'weapons in the tubes are safer than the weapons in the racks'. The weapons in the racks are open to view and touch.
Defence Minister AK Antony and CNS Admiral DK Joshi held a press briefing in Mumbai and mentioned the bow part of the submarine was mangled and had suffered large damage. That is where the torpedoes and missiles are housed in the 21 inch torpedo tubes. A Naval Board of Inquiry (BOI) is looking in to the causes of the sinking of Sindhurakshak, and the contract to salvage the submarine is being awarded for the hull to be lifted up. The damaged weapons and hull should offer pointers but the direct evidence will be scanty as all those working in the boat perished.
But notwithstanding this accident, the record of the Indian Naval Submariners deserves lauding. The Indian Navy is ready to operate new generation submarines, both nuclear and conventional over the coming years.

Source @http://www.indiastrategic.in/topstories3022_The_Indian_Navys_Submarine_Arm_is_Dependable.htm

 

[pmaitra]

INS Sindhurakshak tragedy: List of 18 personnel who were onboard the submarine

The Navy today released the names of the 18 personnel who were onboard INS Sindhurakshak, the submarine that exploded on Wednesday. The crewmen are yet to be "sighted or recovered" by the team of navy divers who are struggling to raise the vessel.

Here is the list:

Officers:
Nikhilesh Pal
Alok Kumar
R Venkitaraj

Sailors:
Sanjeev Kumar
KC Upadhya
Timothy Sinha
Kewal Singh
Sunil Kumar
Dasari Prasad
Liju Lawrence
Rajesh Tootika
Amit K Singh
Atul Sharma
Vikas E
Naruttam Deuri
Malay Haldar
Vishnu V
Seetaram Badapalli

 

[Neil]

Navy in the dock


The Indian Navy has always had a sound strategy to develop a "balanced force capability" comprising naval aviation, submarines, warships and marine commandos, so that it can protect national interests across huge ocean areas by a capability to deter and, if necessary, combat all threats ranging from low-end piracy, maritime terror to conventional war.

Submarines play a crucial role in determining maritime terror in conventional war. While SSBNs (ballistic missile submarine) provide strat-egic second-strike capability, conventional submar-ines and SSNs (nuclear attack submarines) form the spearhead of any naval operations to deny the use of the sea to enemy naval units, block ports and also attack land targets with conventional cruise missiles.

In some distant areas like the South and East Ch-i-na Seas, where the Ch-inese have overwhelming air and sea superiority, only SSNs can be usefully deployed to blockade Chi-nese ports or the Malacca Straits to deny access to the Indian Ocean to Chi-nese warships or Chinese merchant ships carrying oil from West Asia.

To meet all these requirements, the Indian Navy needs at least six SSBNs, eight SSNs and 18 conventional submarines. August 2013 was an eventful month for the Indian Navy. On August 10, the nuclear reactor of the much-delayed SSBN Arihant went critical.

Another much-delayed project, the first India-built 37,500-tonne aircraft carrier Vikrant, was launched at Kochi on August 12, and should commence sea trials in 2016, with induction in 2018.

Also, on August 29, India's first dedicated military satellite (GSAT 7) was launched by a European rocket. Operational on September 14, this unique maritime satellite provides the Indian Navy with a dedicated satellite for instant communication and instant situational awareness across the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean by sending data in simple digital symbols. The Air Force and Army satellites are a few years behind the Navy.

Unfortunately, the Indian Navy suffered a huge jolt on August 14 due to the explosion on board its frontline Kiloclass submarine, INS Sindhurakshak (inducted on December 24, 1997), which resulted in the tragic loss of 18 young submariners, and the sinking of the submarine in about five metres of shallow water.

Had this accident taken place at sea, the loss would have been catastrophic and would have exposed the severe limitations of the Navy's vintage submarine rescue system.

It will take a few months of imported salvage operations to lift the sunken submarine to the surface and then examine it in dry dock to ascertain the probable cause of the explosion. No Navy has a salvage system capability, including India. A foreign firm (possibly based on a time-consuming global tendering process) will lift the Sindhurakshak once the contract is signed.

The Indian Navy has a single vintage submarine rescue system with a capability of rescuing any surviving crew from a sun-ken submarine at depths less than 150 metres, whe-r-eas the modern requi--r-e-ment is to have a deep sub-mergence rescue vehicle (DSRV) up to 600 metres.

In October 2012, in a joint exercise off the west coast, an American DSRV carried out an exercise wherein a few Indian submarine crew members were actually transferred from two Indian submarines that were sitting on the sea bottom to simulate distressed submari-nes. In an actual emergency, the Indo-American SFRK (Submarine Rescue Flyaway Kit) of a decade ago provides for an American DSRV to be flown to India for rescue operations.

Since such an airlift and subsequent deployment could take an unacceptable five to six days, it's high time India revived its 33-year-old request for two viable submarine rescue systems that has been pending with the government.

In submarine rescue, time is critical and involves locating the distressed submarine, deplo-y-ment of DSRV and rescue of crew in batches of about 10 to 20, depending on the size and capability of the DSRV. The rescue ship also needs to have medical facilities.

Another major problem facing the Indian Navy is its ageing conventional submarine fleet. SSBNs (Arihant type) have only a strategic nuclear deterrence (second strike) role, whilst actual warfighting is done by SSNs and conventional submarines. Only one Kilo-class, INS Sindhusashtra, is 13 years old. The other eight are between 23 to 27 years old and due for replacement, given the 25-year lifespan of submarines. The four German SSK submarines are in a similar state of ageing.

The much-delayed Phase 1 of the government-app-roved 30-year submarine building plan, which was approved in 1999, is way behind schedule. It should have been completed by now, but six Scorpene submarines un-d-er construction at Maz-agon Dock in Mumbai will enter service between 2016 and 2022.

The second and third pha-ses of this indigenous submarine construction plan, which envisages another 6+12 indigenous conventional submarines betw-een 2010 and 2030, are likely to get delayed indefini-tely.

The Indian government, despite being in election mode and despite an economy in shambles, needs to take some interim measures to plug the huge gaps in submarine combat capability.
One interim option is to induct two new Kilo-class submarines from Russia.

Unlike France and Germany which take six years, the Russians build the Kilo subs in 27 months — the Kilo, though an old design, would meet our immediate requirements as it is now equipped with modern sensors and missiles. The other option is to induct two Russian SSNs (like the INS Chakra which joined in 2012) by 2018.

-The writer retired as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Naval Command, Visakhapatnam


Navy in the dock | idrw.org

interesting facts by former C-in-C